Poland's coach to step down after World Cup humiliation

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Poland coach Adam Nawalka greets the media as he and the head of the Polish Football Association, Zbigniew Boniek (not pictured) arrive for a news conference in Warsaw, Poland July 3, 2018. Agencja Gazeta/Kuba Atys via REUTERS

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland’s coach Adam Nawalka will step down at the end of July after his team crashed out of the group stage of the 2018 World Cup tournament.

“We have decided that Adam Nawalka will remain Poland’s team coach until July 30 and after that day we will be looking for a new coach. We will try to build a national team in a new way,” the head of the Polish Football Association, Zbigniew Boniek, said during a joint news conference with Nawalka.

The 60-year-old, whose contract was expiring after the World Cup anyway, and the Polish FA decided not to extend it, Boniek said.

“Of course I feel responsible that we did not meet expectations, we did not meet our plans, ambitions, our fans’ expectations ... that we disappointed and I take full responsibility for that ...,” said Nawalka.

Poland lost their two opening games and were the first European side to be knocked out of the competition, while Nawalka’s tactics and choice of players were widely questioned. A win in the third and final group match against Japan was not enough to change the outcome.